The government is trying to avoid public debate about Greenland’s future and assure Trump that his concerns about external threats will be resolved without annexing the island.
Danish authorities sent confidential messages to the team of the elected 47th US President Donald Trump with a proposal to hold negotiations to strengthen the security of Greenland. This was reported by Axios, citing sources.
Copenhagen proposed increasing the number of American troops on the island. Thus, the government is trying to avoid public disputes over Greenland’s future and convince Trump that his concerns about external threats can be resolved without annexing the island.
Messages conveyed to the new White House administration emphasize that Greenland is not for sale, but that Denmark is ready to consider any other requests from Washington. The island already has an American military base in Tula, which is an important element of the early warning system for ballistic missiles. It is also the shortest route from Europe to North America. About 200 US air and space forces serve at the base. The distance from the base to Moscow is about 3757 km. Denmark and the United States have had an agreement on the defense of Greenland since 1951, allowing an increase in the number of American troops on the island.
Danish officials have announced their intention to increase investment in Greenland’s military capabilities and are already consulting with the local government. During the Cold War, the island played an important role in the defense of the United States and NATO, as part of the early detection system for Soviet submarines. With the opening of new Arctic sea routes caused by climate change, Greenland’s strategic importance is growing. In 2022, the Pentagon awarded a $4 billion contract to operate the US base, and in 2023 it deployed four F-35 fighter jets there for the first time.
Greenland, with a population of about 57 thousand people, is an autonomous territory within Denmark with its own government. Until 1953, the island had the status of a colony, and in 2009 it received expanded autonomy, in particular, the right to self-government in internal affairs. Trump has repeatedly said that Greenland should be part of the United States, emphasizing its strategic importance for national security, especially in the context of confrontation with China and Russia.
Let’s add that earlier the Prime Minister of Denmark, Matte Frederiksen, responded to Trump’s statements about the possibility of using force to control Greenland with the words “he cannot imagine such a thing.”
Let’s remember that Trump is not ruling out the use of military force to control Greenland or the Panama Canal, which he has talked about in recent weeks.
Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.